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How to court the media
Sunday, November 30, 2008 Edited by Pat Leahy
Let us echo the stentorian sentiments of Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman, who last week warned that the standards of court reporting were endangering the public’s understanding of the majesty of the legal system.

Reporters are not taking the time to fully understand the rigour of their lordships’ reasonings; some leave cases early; and some appear to report on cases in which they haven’t read the entirety of the judgments. A scandalous state of affairs indeed.

More in-depth reporting of judges’ decisions would surely lead to more informative, and indeed more exciting, court reports. Let us add that reporters should avoid succumbing to the courtroom antics of lawyers who often seem more anxious to feature themselves in the newspapers by means of a colourful phrase or dramatic gesture, than to play their parts in the sombre and dignified administration of justice.

One AOB staffer recalls a particularly long-running case several years ago into which, being accustomed to hanging around the Four Courts at the time, he popped his head most days. Despite the urgings of the judge to hurry up, the leading senior counsel was in the habit of reading out all the affidavits in the case - not, you understand, because he hadn’t read the papers, but because there might be members of the media present, and he was anxious that they should be appraised of the full picture.

The AOB man noticed, on more than one occasion, that the learn’d senior counsel appeared to perk up when the reporter entered the room and would invariably coin some bon mot soon afterwards. Had the barrister been anyone less distinguished than Adrian Hardiman SC, one might have thought he was doing it for the benefit of the media.

* Congratulations to Terry Prone, whose communications clinic has won the contract to advise the Department of Foreign Affairs on how to communicate Europe. Apparently, post-Lisbon research has shown that the Irish people know - in the words of a senior mandarin - ‘‘fuck all about Europe’’.

Clearly some outside expertise is required in this regard, so Terry and her lads will advise on ‘‘key messages’’ and that kind of thing. Mmmmm, can’t wait.

* Needless to say, the above has nothing got to do with preparing the ground for a second referendum on the treaty. God, no.

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